If you like room to stretch (and buttons), this Sino-Swedish sedan is sure to please

February 1, 2018

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What is it: The S60 T5 Inscription is a luxury compact sedan with a bit more rear legroom than the competition thanks to a longer wheelbase. It’s still waiting for the new Volvo interior updates like its bigger S90 brother and crossover cousins. This upper middle trim gets 18-inch wheels, an extended back seat and rear park assist.

Highlights: The Chinese-built S60 T5 Inscription hit U.S. dealers in July 2015, and it goes into 2018 basically unchanged. The T5 denotes the engine -- a 240-hp turbocharged four-cylinder; the T6 makes 302 hp and the top-of-the-line Polestar makes 362 hp with the same turbocharged 2.0-liter four.

The 2018 Volvo S60 T5 has buttons instead of the touchscreen on new models.

Our Opinion: In Volvo’s S60 lineup the Inscription, first shown at the Detroit show in January 2015, denotes a well-equipped sedan with an extra 3 inches more legroom in back. The Chinese market loves itself some rear legroom, and this is why you see so many long-wheelbase E-classes, 5-Series, and A6s running around over there. The Inscription makes for a nice, roomy, U.S.-market sedan, too.

The first time we tried an Inscription was on a twisty Highway 1 north of San Francisco, where it was as fun(ish) to drive as the regular-wheelbase S60. It was well controlled, had good grip, a comfortable ride and minimal body roll. The excellent front bucket seats, a Volvo staple, held us in place well. As we reported at the time, the back seat was “exactly 3 inches nicer than before.”

That drive took place two years ago. What about now, in Detroit? We’re using it for tooling around town, back and forth to work, making airport runs and so on. It’s proving just as comfy and smooth as it had on Highway 1. The 2.0-liter four’s 240 hp feels like plenty hauling around the near-4,000 pound sedan, and all-wheel drive is most welcome around here. If you want more oomph, you can opt for the $47,500 R Design’s 302 hp four or go whole hog with the Polestar and its 362 hp. With both, you’re giving up the extra legroom, though. Plus, the Polestar’s base sticker is $60,000. I’d stick with the 240-hp four. It’s plenty for most situations, and to me, the longer wheelbase feels like smooth sailing, improving the car’s ride over Detroit’s notoriously rough pavement compared to other S60s I’ve driven.

The interior is a pleasant place to spend time, with nice-looking walnut inlays and high-quality materials. The dash layout is good news/bad news, depending on your expectations. The buttons for things like heat/vent and the stereo are tiny and there 32 of them (!). Yes, I counted. The good news, for me at least, is that S60s don’t (yet) have the ginormous and way overly complicated touchscreen seen in the likes of the XC90. The iPad-size interface has multiple screens that you stab and pinch to control almost everything. It responds slowly and inconsistently and is frankly maddening as all get out. I much prefer the S60’s layout, though this model generation is already eight years old, so I fear its days are numbered...

Wes Raynal
- Wes Raynal joined Crain Communications’ circulation department while still in college. When he graduated in 1986, he became a reporter for Autoweek sister publication Automotive News. He has worked as Autoweek’s associate editor, news editor, motorsports editor and executive editor before being named editor in 2009.
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